MR Onions and Key West Rangers are the Commercial League?s remaining standard bearers in the FA Cup after Sunday?s action saw the rest of the crowd crash out.

The pair drew with teams from the BFA top flight and other Commercial sides took heart from their own performances with Valley succumbing to a single goal from First Division Prospect while Robin Hood were positively invigorated despite their 3-0 loss to Ireland Rangers.

The Commercial A champs for the last six seasons have floundered this season and lie seventh after just three wins.

But Hood manager Donny Smyth was in an optimistic frame of mind after Sunday?s loss.

?For us that was the best performance of the season. It wasn?t really surprising, we went into the game as underdogs, and everyone stepped up. They were energised about trying to play better guys. We got beat 3-0 but the scoreline flattered them.

?We gave them a sloppy goal and then we took the game to them. We hit the post in the first 20 minutes of the second half.?

Hood also had an effort saved off the line and another effort hit the cross bar.

Smyth said the last goal was due to a last-ditch tactical gamble which backfired as a striker was put on for a defender and Hood were caught short at the back.

?I think we will take huge heart out of that for the rest of the season. I will be saying to each and every one of them that they need to bring the same level of intensity and effort into their game as we go into the second half of the season.

?I just wish we were playing next week, we got the best performance out of the guys.?

Smyth said his team had clearly enjoyed the challenge of playing against players from a higher level but he noted the gap was not that great.

Although the players are younger and fitter, Smyth believed there wasn?t much difference in technical ability.

Ironically, Ireland Rangers took the Hood?s place when the pub team turned down the chance to move into the First Division a few years ago, recalled Smyth, who said his ageing team had wisely foregone the weekly maelstrom of the higher league for the more sedate pace of Saturday afternoon in the Commercial A.

MR Onions, who top that division, are also in good heart after getting the better of a 1-1 draw at Premier Division Southampton Rangers.

Captain Steve Smith said: ?Constant hard work by every player on the park was key to the Onions performance.

?I was surprised at first but the more the game went on the more I felt we had a decent chance as it could have gone either way.

?They missed a penalty and hit the post, yet we had decent chances to finish and they had lost their keeper. I am hoping we put up as good a fight in the replay.

?They will still be favourites as they are Premier League.

?The cup is not a distraction from the league. That remains our goal every year and we are not getting carried away over one result.?

But he said his players got a kick out of the Cup, even though he wouldn?t want to have to play at that level regularly.

?It was great to play a better standard team as that raised the level everyone played at, but to do that every week would be asking a lot. Speed and fitness play a big part in the game.

?We won a lot of ball in the air and in the tackles but it?s the sharpness that?s the difference.

?We play against older Bermudan national players in the Commercial League. The touch of these players is still very good but the turn of pace has slowed.

?It?s more enjoyable playing in front of a crowd but they can get on your back. They were giving the Rangers forwards some stick for missing their opportunities. Our crowd represented us well and the ?Peelers? were in good voice.?

Not that he was overawed by the crowd. Smith, from Brighton on England?s south coast, said: ?Cup matches I?ve played in back home have larger crowds and the rivalry is more intense. I think that?s because we are not a local side so there is no local rivalry with us.?

Key West Rangers picked up a 3-3 draw against First Division Hamilton Parish who borrowed hat-trick hero Irving Burgess from Parish?s Commercial outfit.

It wasn?t all cup glory for the lower teams. Lobster Pot went down 9-0 to Devonshire Cougars.

Pot winger Saleem Mukuddem said: ?We did not have any expectations of winning this game but we also did not expect to get beaten this badly.

?The score line flattered them as we played the last 15 minutes with 10 players as Mike Johnstone left for hospital after a bad fall and we had already used all the subs.

?I also dislocated a finger which made the second half a bit testing.

?We gave it our best shot and unfortunately it was not good enough. We conceded four early goals and the rest of the game was going to be an uphill battle.

?We let in quite a few goals that they did not deserve and that did our cause no good. They were fitter and were quite comfortable on the ball.

?We looked a bit intimidated by them during the first half, giving the ball away cheaply.

?The second half we started more positively with some runs down the line and some neat passing as we should have done in the first place.

?Personally I enjoyed myself as it gave me an opportunity to stretch my legs against Premier opposition. We have quite a few players who are going home or are on vacation during the break so that they can be refreshed for the league.

?I?d like to wish MR Onions luck in their replay as they carry the flag for the Commercial League but also remind our players that the cup is behind us so now we can focus on the league title.?